`New' Mvc Should Be Balanced, Interesting

GROLLER

October 03, 1997|by KEITH GROLLER, The Morning Call

The two-division alignment unveiled for football last week by the expanded Mountain Valley Conference will likely apply in field hockey as well.

The Mountain Division will feature six exisiting MVC members -- Lehighton, Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain, East Stroudsburg, Stroudsburg and Nazareth. The Valley Division will be the home of current MVC member Northampton and the five newcomers -- Liberty, Freedom, Easton, Parkland and Whitehall.

While many feel Parkland, winner of nine EPC championships last year, will dominate in their new league, field hockey is one sport that should be balanced.

Northampton, Parkland, Easton and a resurgent Whitehall program should battle for the top most of the time in the Valley. Nazareth, Lehighton, Pleasant Valley and Pocono Mountain will regularly scrap for crowns in the Mountain Division.

Having Emmaus out of the mix makes things more competitive, and maybe, that's why the four Monroe County schools -- Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain and the two Stroudsburgs -- all reportedly voted against admitting the Hornets to the MVC even when they were thought to be a shoo-in.

It was Emmaus' success in this sport as well as girls soccer, swimming and basketball that reportedly closed the door in their face.

If rumors are true and the Monroe schools blocked Emmaus because they were too good in girls sports, that's a shame and definitely the wrong message to send to kids.

Emmaus has had a relationship with many of those schools for years. In fact, the field hockey team has Pocono Mountain and Pleasnat Valley on the schedule this year.

Because they only play 12 league games in the present MVC, those teams were always looking for games to fill their schedule. Emmaus always obliged.

Now, Emmaus is seeking alternatives, including playing in the Suburban One Conference -- a tremendous circuit in most sports, including field hockey. As a Sub-One team playing even tougher competition, Emmaus will only get better.

And don't forget that the Monroe County teams as well as all MVC members will still have to deal with Emmaus come District 11 playoff time. No doors were closed there.

And chances are, if the Hornets get to play the Cardinals, Bears, Cavs or Mountaineers come district playoff time, they won't forget the snub they received last week, a snub that has sent the entire community into a state of panic about its athletic future.

KING COURTS A LION -- Saucon Valley senior Jen King is one of the area's top athletes. She plays basketball and softball, but her future is in field hockey.

"I want to go to Penn State and play hockey," she said of her goal. "I put a lot of hard work into the sport in the offseason and it's starting to pay off."

That work led to a more poised player.

"I'm more confident," King said. "I used to get flustered and wild. My stick would go up. Now, I'm under control."

And the reason King is more controlled is the discipline meted out by Panther head coach Alice Friend.

"I give her a lot of credit," King said. "She taught me to calm down. She has brought discipline. She's the reason I love this sport. I want discipline. She yells at me and that's my drive to improve."

As she sky-rocketed to the top of the Colonial League goal scoring charts, King had to learn to be patient.

"I'm seeing double-teams and triple-teams," she said. "Northwestern really did that to me. I felt like I couldn't move."

Saucon Valley has the league's best mark with just one loss through their first 12 games. But the one team to defeat the Panthers -- Northwestern -- is on a roll as evidenced by an 8-0 rout of Pen Argyl Wednesday.

Congrats to King and Easton's Lori Blanchfield, both chosen as Frantz Trophies' Players of the Week on WAEB Morning Call Sports Page and Sneaker Stadium Athletes of the Week on Morning Call TV show ... We'll catch up on goal leaders next week ... . Any info can be e-mailed to keith.groller@mcall.com.